* US Fish and Wildlife Service Documents on the Pygmy-owl On January 9, 2003, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a draft recovery plan for the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl that recommends strategies for conserving the endangered bird that was once common in southern-to-central Arizona. Comments on the plan will be accepted until April 9.

The release of the recovery plan occurred shortly after the Service released the draft critical habitat designation (see below for more information.) The public comment periods for the two separate but related documents overlap.

The draft recovery plan identifies criteria for moving the owl from endangered to threatened status and will be effective for five years. In the plan, all currently known pygmy-owls in Arizona and the habitat they occupy (since 1993, when formalized surveys began) would be protected. It also calls for identifying and maintaining two interconnected systems of habitat; one extending from areas occupied by the pygmy-owls in Mexico to the northern edge of the historical range near Phoenix, and the other from the Mexican border at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument into rural southwestern Maricopa and Pinal counties.

Historically, the owl was reported as common in Arizona cottonwood- mesquite forests along southern and central Arizona rivers and washes. Loss of these forests and woodlands over the last 100 years, together with a lack of regulatory protection and the rapid development of dense Sonoran scrub land now utilized by remaining owls, lead to the endangerment of the population. Arizona surveys documented 41 adult pygmy-owls in 1999, 34 adults in 2000, 36 in 2001, and 18 in 2002.

The Service seeks public review and comments on the draft recovery plan through April 9. The draft plan and related photos and maps are available on the Internet at http://arizonaes.fws.gov/.Requests for the draft plan and comments should be submitted to Steve Spangle, Field Supervisor, Arizona Ecological Services Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix, Arizona 85201, by mail, fax (602-242-2513) or email at cfpo_recovery@fws.gov.

* Comment Deadline Extended on Proposed Critical Habitat Designation The US Fish and Wildlife Service released the new draft proposal for critical habitat designation for the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl on November 26, 2002 (please see Issues #15 and #16 for more details about the proposal.) There was a recent public hearing on the subject�a BIG THANKS to all of you who came and spoke in support of strong protections for the owl. Originally, the public comment deadline was February 25, 2003, however, due to a recent ruling on a lawsuit from the National Homebuilders’ Association, which will result in the release of the exact locations of owls’ nests, the public comment deadline has been extended to April 25, 2003.

Written comments may be submitted to the Field Office Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2321 W. Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix, Arizona, 85021-4951, or via fax at (602) 242-2513, or by email to cfpo_habitat@fws.gov. Comments must be received by FWS by April 25, 2003 to be considered in the decision-making process.

The proposal, the draft economic analysis, maps and other pygmy-owl information are available at http://arizonaes.fws.gov or by contacting the Field Office Supervisor, (see address above) or by calling (602) 242-0210.

* SDCP Steering Committee Update and Upcoming Meetings The SDCP citizen’s Steering Committee is making progress, and has added additional meetings in March to, hopefully, wrap up the final details of the "preferred alternative" to be given to the Board of Supervisors.

The March 5 meeting will be held only if the Steering Committee does not reach consensus on a "preferred alternative." The Steering Committee will meet a final time in early April to vote on the final draft to be submitted to the Board.

* Open Space Bond Update The Friends of the Sonoran Desert, the organization that re-joined to promote a new county Open Space Bond, is working to get a written commitment from the Board of Supervisors to schedule an election for November for at least $200 million. The Friends need a firm commitment from the Board that they will follow through on this important step in implementing the SDCP. Between now and November, the Friends will be working on their community and business outreach campaigns to encourage citizens in Pima County to approve the bond in the November election. Contact Kate Hiller, Campaign Coordinator, for more information at 481-5736.

* How You Can Help Want to help protect the Sonoran Desert? Spread the word throughout the community about the importance of the SDCP! Not only will this inform folks who may not know about the plan, it will remind decision-makers and the general public how much the Coalition’s work is grounded in "grassroots" community support. Here are a couple of ways you can do this:

* Write letters to the local newspapers (there are frequently articles about the SDCP or conservation that need responses) * Write an article on the SDCP for newsletters of groups to which you belong * Attend and speak out at public meetings * Talk to your family, neighbors, and friends * Volunteer to give a presentation to a group you’re involved with we’d be happy to help you prepare for it!! Or, if you’re not comfortable giving a presentation yourself, invite us to give one at the next meeting! * Donate your time or money to the Coalition (all donations are tax deductible!) * And, VERY IMPORTANTLY, call your elected member on the Pima County Board of Supervisors and let her/him know how important the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan is to you and the community.

And a HUGE thanks to all of you who are already doing these things! Community support is key to the success of the plan, and we couldn’t have gotten this far without your help. Thanks for making the effort (we know it really is an effort these days!) for our beautiful and unique desert home, and all of its current and future inhabitants!

We all know the adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” A recently released Vox video about wildlife crossings demonstrates this. Grab a cup of coffee and take a look at this great introductory video about wildlife crossings, why they are so important, why we should build many more, and how they are cost-effective […]

July 10, 2017 Tomorrow morning the Pima County of Board of Supervisors will be voting on two important resolutions that support: 1) Pima County’s participation in the County Climate Coalition and specific goals and actions in alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement, and 2) important water quality protection goals. Can you attend this meeting and […]

June 7, 2017 By Kathleen Kennedy, CSDP Associate Director Did you know that mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and elk migrate hundreds of miles each year in Wyoming? Fairly recently, scientists discovered that various herds of these ungulates migrate every summer and winter. Many of them summer in Yellowstone National Park, then fan out to the north, south, east, and west […]

Do you think we should construct a new interstate in between our treasured Saguaro National Park and Ironwood Forest National Monument? The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highways Administration are currently accepting public comments (deadline is this Friday, June 2!) on proposed corridor alternatives for a new interstate between Nogales and Wickenburg. [Want to read […]

The Coalition is a fiscally sponsored project of Sky Island Alliance, a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions for the purposes of the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.